Abstract In this article, we present the results of the use of muralism as an artistic tool applied to environmental education with a focus on the promotion of awareness of aquatic ecosystems and rationed water consumption in the province of Esmeraldas in northwestern Ecuador. The research was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of professors and students from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador Sede Esmeraldas between 2017 and 2018 with the support of mural artists. The project involved a target audience in participating in the design and painting of four large-format murals with graphic representations of the ecosystems and people's relationship to water. The murals were developed in four different locations in the city where they could be viewed and appreciated by the community in general. One corner of each of these murals was deliberately left blank to serve as a slate where people could reflect and leave their comments. Pre- and post-test surveys were administered to the participants of this study and then evaluated and analyzed using McNemar statistics to measure the changes in participants' knowledge, awareness, and attitude. The reaction of the public to the murals was also part of the study. Their interaction was analyzed using a qualitative evaluation matrix specifically designed for this project. The results obtained in this study show that the use of mural art is an effective tool for environmental education programs. Murals represent a place for interaction; therefore, they become effective spaces for expressing and communicating messages. The impact of murals on awareness of aquatic ecosystems and use of water were more significant in children and teenagers because people are more receptive at a young age. The rest of the target groups participating in the study, although stimulated by the murals, presented minor changes in their responses. The public's reaction to the murals was extremely positive. The results showed that murals that depicted elements relating people's identity to the ecosystem helped reconnect them with nature and reminded them of their responsibility to conserve it. Thus, mural art can serve as a pedagogical tool for environmental education, helping communities connect with the environmental reality and encouraging them to commit to conservation through tangible work.

中文翻译：

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使用壁画来提高对厄瓜多尔西北部水生生态系统和明智用水的认识

摘要 在本文中，我们展示了将壁画作为一种艺术工具应用于环境教育的结果，重点是在厄瓜多尔西北部的埃斯梅拉达斯省提高人们对水生生态系统和定量用水的认识。该研究由来自厄瓜多尔天主教主教大学的跨学科教授和学生团队于 2017 年至 2018 年在壁画艺术家的支持下进行。该项目让目标受众参与了四幅大幅面壁画的设计和绘画，这些壁画描绘了生态系统和人们与水的关系。这些壁画是在城市的四个不同地点开发的，在那里它们可以被整个社区观看和欣赏。每幅壁画的一个角落都被刻意留白，作为人们可以反思和发表评论的石板。对本研究的参与者进行了测试前和测试后调查，然后使用 McNemar 统计来评估和分析参与者的知识、意识和态度的变化。公众对壁画的反应也是研究的一部分。使用专为该项目设计的定性评估矩阵分析了它们的相互作用。本研究的结果表明，壁画艺术的使用是环境教育计划的有效工具。壁画代表了互动的场所；因此，它们成为表达和传达信息的有效空间。壁画对水生生态系统意识和用水的影响在儿童和青少年中更为显着，因为人们在年轻时更容易接受。参与研究的其他目标群体，虽然受到壁画的刺激，但他们的反应略有变化。公众对壁画的反应非常积极。结果表明，描绘将人们的身份与生态系统联系起来的元素的壁画有助于他们与自然重新建立联系，并提醒他们保护自然的责任。因此，壁画艺术可以作为环境教育的教学工具，帮助社区与环境现实联系起来，并鼓励他们通过有形的工作致力于保护。